Westhusing, Theodore Scott

Colonel Theodore Scott Westhusing was a West Point graduate and a professor of philosophy at the United States Military Academy. A specialist in military ethics, he held a doctorate from Emory University and volunteered for duty in Iraq in 2004. He was assigned to the Multinational Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I), tasked with training Iraqi security forces.

Westhusing was found dead of a gunshot wound on June 5, 2005, at Camp Dublin, a forward operating base near the Baghdad International Airport. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command ruled his death a suicide. According to reports, he had recently confronted contractors over allegations of fraud and human rights abuses within the training program.

Westhusing was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began with the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. His death occurred during a period of intense sectarian violence and insurgency, as U.S. forces worked to establish and train new Iraqi military and police units.

His death prompted investigations and public discussion. A 2006 article in *The New York Times* detailed the ethical pressures he reportedly faced in his role. His family received letters of condolence from senior military officials, including General David Petraeus, who commanded the training mission.

Westhusing is remembered within military academic circles for his scholarship on honor and ethics. His death is often cited in discussions about the moral challenges faced by soldiers in complex counterinsurgency and training missions.

Colonel Westhusing was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010). The conflict concluded in August 2010. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Kennedy, Brian Matthew, Beaupre, Ryan Anthony, Gutierrez, Jose, Waters-bey, Kendall Damon.

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